Discharge device.



PATENTED MAY 30, 1905.

M. BAI EY. DISCHARGE DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 14, 1904.

WITNESSES: a M

6 INVENTOR BY 2 4:97pm ATTORNE No. 790,s7e.

' NITED STATEs latented May 30, 1905.

MARK BAILEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DISCHARGE DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,878, dated May 30,1905. Application filed July 14, 1904. Serial No. 216,625.

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK BAILEY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Discharge Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification. I

This invention relates to devices for automatically discharging fluidunder pressure from receptacles, wherein the discharge is controlled bythe variations of level of a liquid in the receptacle.

The invention is particularly useful as applied to steam-traps,boiler-feeders, and similar devices for controlling the discharge ofliquid under pressure from receptacles.

As heretofore constructed the devices of the character referred to areeither designed or in practice operate to permit the water or otherfluid to escape slowly, either continuously or intermittently, through asmall aperture formed between an outlet-valve and its seat. This smallaperture is apt to become clogged, especially where low pressures areused, and where such pressures are employed the great velocity of theWater or other fluid at the point of discharge causes rapid wear of theValve-surface, the result being in either case rapid development ofwasteful leaks and unreliability of operation, aside from therestriction of capacity due to the small dischargeaperture.

The objects of the present invention are to overcome these defects, andmore particularly to provide in a device of the character referred to aconstruction whereby the discharge or outlet passage having ampledimensions is instantly and fully opened when the liquid reaches acertain level and is suddenly and accurately closed when a certainquantity of liquid has been discharged, also to provide a constructionwhich, nevertheless, is simple and reliable in operation and not apt toget out of order.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in thecombination of a casing having inlet and outlet passages, a valve forcontrolling the outlet-passage, said valve being adapted to be seated bythe pressure in the casing, a float, connections between the float andthe valve, and means for suddenly raising the level of the liquid in thecasing, whereby the valve is suddenly forced away from its seat.

In accordance with the best embodiment of the invention a sphericaloutlet-valve is used, the same being controlled by means permitting itto be seated freely by the pressure within the casing, and theconnections between the float and the valve are constructed to permitlimited movement of the valve independently of the float.

In the best construction the outlet-passage faces downwardly within thecasing, so that the valve closes by an upward movement, and the valve ismade heavier than water or with a specific gravity greater than unity,so that when the valve is forced away from its seat, so as to relieve itfrom the pressure in the easing, it falls entirely free of theoutlet-opening and permits the flow of liquid therethrough.

In the best construction also the means for suddenly raising the levelof the liquid in the casing consists of a tipping bucket, which receivesthe water entering the casing and when full or nearly full suddenlydischarges the water into the main body of water in the casing, therebyraising its levelsuddenly. By reason of this construction when the waterrises in the casing to a point which renders the float operative to opena valve the next discharge of the tipping bucket will operate to liftthe float suddenly, so as to force the valve entirely away from its seatand permit a full discharge through the outlet. By reason of thisconstruction also the Water in the easing is intermittently agitated, sothat any sediment which may be in the casing will be prevented fromsettling and will be discharged with the water, so that frequentcleaning of the casing will be unnecessary.

The invention also consists in the other novel features of constructionand combinations of parts herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, which are referred to herein and form a parthereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention as applied tosteam-traps and serve in connection with the description herein toexplain the principles thereof.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of asteam-trap constructed in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is acentral sectional plan view of the same, the section being taken on theline 2 E2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the particular construction illustrated by way of examplein the drawings, the trap comprises a closed casing 1, constructed ofcast-iron or other material adapted to withstand the pressure underwhich the steam heating apparatus to which the trap is connected isoperated. The inlet 2 is so connected with the steam heating apparatusthat the water of condensation formed therein will be drawn into thetrap in the usual manner, said inlet being provided with a hand-valve,(not shown,) as usual. The discharge-passage for the water ofcondensation is formed by a short pipe 5, which projects downwardlythrough the top of the casing, near one end thereof, and terminates at apoint some distance above the bottom of the casing. In accordance withthe best construction the valve controlling the discharge-passage isarranged to be seated by the pressure within the casing directly on thelower end of the dischargepipe 5. Preferably and as shown this valveconsists of a ball 6, having a smooth spherical surface, any part ofwhich is adapted when seated upon the end of the discharge-pipe 5 to fitaccurately the seat formed thereon and securely close the passagetherethrough. The discharge-pipe 5 and the ball are preferably formed ofa hard tough material which will not wear easily and will not corrode.The material preferably employed is hard phosphor-bronze. The ball-valve6 may be manipulated to open or close the discharge-passage at therequired intervals by any suitable means adapted to remove suddenlythe'ball entirely from its seat when the water of condensation in thecasing reaches a certain level and to replace the ball suddenly to itsseat when a certain quantity of water has been discharged from the trap.In accordance with the construction shown a float 7 is provided for thispurpose, the connections between the float and the ball being such as topermit a limited movement of the float independently of the ball. Asshown, the float is connected by means of a bracket 8 with one end of alever 9, which is pivoted at a point between the ball and the float to abracket 10, secured in the casing 1. To permit easily the removal of thedischarge-pipe 5, together with the valve 6 and float 7, the bracket issecured to the pipe 5, and the pipe and bracket are secured in place bya tapered plug 11, which is threaded at the upper end of the pipe 5 andis seated in a conical opening in the casing 1, so as to draw thebracket 10 home to its seat on the inner surface of said casing, Astay-bolt 12 fixes the angular position of the bracket 10 and assists infirmly holding it in position.

By removing the plug 11 and bolt 12 the valve and float and all partsassociated therewith can be removed through a suitable opening in thecasing, said opening being closed in the construction shown by theremovable cover 13. A guide-fork 13 may be provided to steady the lever9.

For the purpose of permitting the ball 6 to rest freely on its seat onthe end of pipe 5 and at the same time to provide for lost motionbetween the valve and the float the lever 9 is provided with a cage-likestructure, in which the ball 6 is loosely confined. This cage, as shown,consists of a yoke 14, pivoted to the lever 9 near its fulcrum-point andarranged to engage the ball 6 at its top adjacent to the pipe 5. Toconfine the ball between the top of the yoke 14 and the end of the lever9, between which parts the ball has considerable lost motion, a seriesof four guide-fingers 15 is provided, said fingers being rigidlyconnected to the bracket 10. It follows from this construction that whenthe float has been lifted by the water of condensation as it collects inthe casing 1 until the top of the yoke 14 strikes the ball 6 themovement of the float will be arrested until the buoyant force of thefloat has been so increased by the continued rise of the water as toovercome the force with which the ball 6 is held to its seat by thepressure within the casing. As soon as this force is overcome the floatwill shoot upwardly, and thus suddenly force the ball entirely from themouth of the inlet-passage. ball has been released from the pressure, itfalls, by reason of its greater specific gravity, away from the openingand freely rests on the short end of the lever 9.

To insure the sudden rise of the float when the rise of the water in thecasing has brought the yoke 14 into contact with the ball, any suitablemeans may be provided. In accordance with the construction shown atipping bucket 16 is provided for this purpose, the same being arrangedto receive the water .from the inlet-passage 2 and intermittently dumpthe same into the float-chamber. This bucket is so constructed that whenit is empty it stands in a substantially level position, the rear edgeresting on a suitable lug 17, projecting from the inner wall of thecasing 1. As the water collects in the bucket, however, it overbalancesthe force by which the bucket is held upright and automatically tips thebucket so as to discharge the water. The capacity of the bucket is suchthat when the yoke 14 has been brought into contact with the ball 5 onebucketful of water will raise the level of the water in the casing tosuch an extent as to force the ball 6 so far away from its seat that thepressure at opposite sides of the ball is balanced, and the same willfall by its greater specific gravity to the bottom of the cage on thelever 9. The intermittent discharge of the water from the bucket intothe When the casing also has the effect of keeping any sediment in thefloat-chamber in suspension, so that the sediment will be dischargedwith the water from the apparatus. Cleaning the apparatus by hand isthereby rendered unnecessary.

In order that the ball may not be held near its seat by the outflowingcurrent of water, it is preferably made considerably larger than thediameter of the outside passage, the size and weight of the ball beingdesigned accord ing to the pressure under which the apparatus is to beoperated. The greater the pressure in the casing the higher will be thevelocity of the outflowing current of water and the greater will be therequired size and weight of the ball 6. The ball should not be so heavy,however, that when it has been seated by the action of the float-leverit will not be securely held there by the pressure in the casing, so asto prevent leakage. In the best construction also the size and weight ofthe ball is so proportioned with reference to the pressure that when theball has been broughtclose to its seat by the closing movement of thelever the outrushing current of water will compel the sudden operationindependently of the lever and float, and thus carry the ball to itsseat suddenly. By this construction the ball will be more accuratelyseated than it could be by the action of the float-lever alone.

' The main advantages of a device constructed in accordance with thisinvention are that a discharge-passage of ample dimensions is providedfor the liquid and that this dischargepassage is always either entirelyopen or entirely closed, so that there is-no liability of its becomingclogged, and there is little or no tendency-for the formation ofwasteful leaks. The apparatus at the same time is simple and cheap inconstruction, is self-closing, and the moving parts are free fromfriction and other forces tending to interfere with their prompt andreliable operation.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the particularconstruction shown nor to the particular constructions by which it maybe carried into effect, as many changes may be made in the details ofthe construction without departing from the main principles of theinvention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a casing having inlet and outlet passages. a valvefor controlling the outlet-passage, said valve being adapted to beseated by the pressure in the casing, a float, connections between thevalve and the float, and means for intermittently raising the level ofthe liquid in the casing, whereby the valve is suddenly operated tofully open the outlet-passage when the liquid reaches a predeterminedlevel in the casing.

2. The combination of a casing having inlet and outlet passages, a valvefor controlling the outlet-passage, said valve being adapted to beseated by pressure in the casing, a float, connections between the valveand the float, said connections being constructed to permit a limitedmovement of the float independently of the valve, and means forintermittently and suddenly raising the level of the liquid in thecasing, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a casing having inlet and outlet passages, a valvefor controlling the outlet-passage, said valve being adapted to beseated by the pressure'in the casing, a float, connections between thevalve and the float, and a tipping bucket, whereby the valve is suddenlyforced away from its seat when the liquid reaches a predetermined levelin the casing. I

4:. The combination of a casing having an inlet and a downwardly-openingoutlet passage, a free ball-valve having a specific gravity greater thanthe liquid in the casing for controlling the outlet-passage, a float,connections between the float and the valve, said connections beingconstructed to permit a limited movement of the float independently ofthe valve, and means for intermittently and suddenly raising the levelof the liquid in the casing, whereby the valve is suddenly forced awayfrom its seat when the liquid reaches a predetermined level in thecasing.

5. The combination of a casing having inlet and outlet passages, a freeball-valve adapted to be seated on the mouth of the outlet-passage, afloat, a lever to which said float is connected, said lever having acage in which said ball-valve has a limited movement to and from itsseat, and a tipping bucket for suddenly raising the level of the liquidin the casing, whereby the ball is suddenly forced entirely away fromits seat when the liquid reaches a predetermined level in the casing.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARK BAILEY.

Witnesses:

J. H. FREEMAN, EDWIN SEGER.

IIO

